She’s one of the show’s most controversial characters – and now Married At First Sight Australia’s Jessika Power tells Closer that despite being characterised as the cheating villain on the hit TV series, she has no regrets.
Jess, 29, says, “I got a lot of hate after the show – it’s been tough. Looking back, I cringe at stuff I did and how it all played out. But viewers have got to remember – it’s a show. There’s editing, there’s cuts, there’s stuff left out. I’m not making excuses for myself, but the producers know what they’re doing. I wouldn’t change anything about my decisions, as it’s made me into who I am today and helped me learn.”
Admin worker Jess – then 27, as it was filmed in 2019 – was matched up by experts with hobby farm owner Mick.
But midway through the series, her relationship with Mick, 33, became rocky – and new contestant Dan caught Jess’ eye, prompting the start of their scandalous affair. And Jess now says that, while she made the choice to pursue a romance with Dan, the drama around it was sensationalised.
She says, “Dan and I had an instant connection – and I told the producers that. They’d then ask me questions and ask me to put the question in my answer. They’d say, ‘Do you think Dan is attractive?’ and I’d reply, ‘I think Dan is an attractive guy’. I did, and I did make the decision to pursue him, because I really could see us together.”
Her decision to cheat on Mick and date Dan – behind his wife Tamara’s back – sparked outrage from viewers and even death threats from trolls online.
She says, “I got a hard time during and after the show – I’ve had some horrendous messages. People have told me to die, that they’ll stab me and that I deserve to be killed or raped. I’m lucky I’m thick-skinned and I haven’t taken it to heart. I know cheating is bad, but we all make mistakes. Trolls just like to have someone to criticise.
“Despite all that, I’ve had positive times after the show. We were paid just £85 a day while we were filming, but since then I’ve made money through Instagram, via personal appearances and the media. I managed to fund my little sister’s university degree, which has made some of the negative stuff worthwhile.”
Check out: celebrities who cheated - 63 of the biggest showbiz affairs
CLOSER Celebrity cheaters - slider use this one
1 of 64Katie Price and Kieran Hayler
Katie Price left the nation shocked in 2014 when she announced husband Kieran Hayler had been cheating on her with her best friend Jane Pountney for the past seven months. Katie had already welcomed Jett into the world and at the time – she announced the heartbreaking news - she was six months pregnant with Bunny. The pair worked through it but in 2017 she revealed he had been unfaithful again with their children's nanny and a few months later she called it quits after he reportedly cheated again with a 19-year-old co-op worker.
2 of 64Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott
They seemed totally in love but everyone was shocked when it came to light that Zara McDermott had secretly cheated on Sam Thompson with an X Factor figure. The revelation came out a year after it happened when one of Zara and Sam's mutual friends revealed what went on.
3 of 64Kris Boyson and Katie Price
Almost a year after their split and it looks like Kris Boyson and Katie Price are still feuding despite the fact they're both in new relationships. Things took a turn when Katie claimed her ex doesn't have "a pot to p-ss in". Kris then hit back and claimed that Katie slept with three other people during their relationship.
4 of 64Mary Berry and Paul Hunnings
Yeah we're surprised about this too but Great British Bake Off legend Mary Berry admitted that she cheated on her current husband Paul Hunnings when they first started dating. Despite wanting to "keep her options open" she ended up settling for her hubby.
5 of 64Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards
They were the X-Factor couple everyone was rooting for and Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards appeared to go from strength to strength; he got a tattoo of her and they got engaged.However during their four-year relationship there were lots of speculation that the One Direction star had been unfaithful. In August 2015, he abruptly ended their engagement and while Perrie reportedly claimed he called it quits by sending a text, Zayn denied the allegations.
6 of 64Katie Price and Danny Cipriani
Katie Price dated Danny Cipriani back in 2011 but their relationship came to an end when the reality star walked in on him in bed with another woman. In her autobiography Love, Lipstick and Lies, she spilled the tea – classic Katie – and said: "In my experience he was a bit – erm – lean in the most obvious departments."That's why I nicknamed him Danny Chipolata. He can no longer hit the right spots on the rugby field and he certainly can't find them on a woman."
7 of 64Kelly Brooks and Danny Cipriani
Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani dated for two years but things came to an end when she discovered he gave his number to a stripperwhile he was on a night out with her. She punched him in the face and that was pretty much the end of their relationship. Even though Danny had been unfaithful to Kelly and Katie, instead of teaming up they actually had a fiery feud about him on Twitter.
8 of 64Lucy Mecklenburgh and Mario Falcone
Lucy Mecklenburgh broke down in tears on a park bench and revealed to Mario Falcone – while filming TOWIE - that she had been unfaithful with ex-boyfriend Mark Wright during a holiday in Ibiza. After Mario pointed out that she had lied for two months he ended their relationship. However she managed to win him back and they even went on to get engaged. It wasn't to last and they split for good in 2013 and Mario has since revealed that he didn't actually want to pop the question.
9 of 64Tess Daly and Vernon Kay
In 2010 it came to light thatVernon Kay had sent 'flirty' to Rhian Sugden behind Tess Daly's back. Fast forward to 2016 and he was caught texting the glamour model again.
10 of 64Coleen and Wayne Rooney
They're childhood sweethearts but back in 2002, Coleen Rooney discovered Wayne had slept with a 48 year old nan in a brothel. A year after they welcomed their first son, Kai, into the world there were allegations that the footballer had cheated with prostitutes Jennifer Thompson and Helen Wood. Despite the rumours, Coleen and Wayne moved passed it and welcomed their son child Klay. Fast forward to 2017 and Wayne was arrested for drunk driving and Laura Simpson (whose car he was driving) claimed they kissed. She then backtracked on This Morning and denied that anything went down with Wayne and then Coleen shared a brutally honest Facebook post about her marriage.
11 of 64Cheryl and Ashley Cole
'Golden couple' Cheryl and Ashley Cole appeared to have it all; she was in Girls Aloud, he was a footballer and after a year of meeting they were engaged. Unfortunately months after they tied the knot there were reports that Ashley cheated on his wife with hairdresser Aimee Walton and this wasn't the only rumours. In 2010, Cheryl filed for divorce.
12 of 64Ellie Brown and Charlie Brake
They met on Love Island and all seemed to be well with Ellie Brown and Charlie Brake (minus that time they rowed on the show but quickly made up after she discovered he was a millionaire) however after they left the villa it went downhill. Almost two months after their time in the villa Charlie announced in a short statement that they'd split and when they met back up (in front of the cameras, of course) at the Love Island reunion, she branded him a "compulsive liar"before claiming he cheated on her – and there were pictures to prove it.
13 of 64Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville
Another Love Island couple – Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville. Despite a lot of people thinking their relationship was fake, the Love Island 2017 contestants proved them all wrong and dated for nine months after leaving the villa. Unfortunately it ended in tears when Marcel cheated on Gabby while they were on holiday together.
14 of 64Vicky Pattison and John Noble
Geordie Shore's Vicky Pattison was left heartbroken after her fiancé John Nobles was caught looking very cosy with another woman while he was on holiday in Dubai.`
15 of 64Seann Walsh and Rebecca Humphries / Neil and Katya Jones
There was quite the scandal surrounding Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 when comedian Seann Walsh was papped kissing married pro dancer Katya Jones. They both apologised for their actions but that didn't stop Seann's now ex-girlfriend fromdumping him and posting a fierce message on social media.
16 of 64Samira Mighty and Frankie Foster
The third Love Island couple on our list goes to Samira Mighty and Frankie Foster. After he was booted from the show, she decided to leave the villa to pursue the relationship only to hear reports that he had been unfaithful. During an episode on Love Island After Sun, Frankie insisted they'd "dealt" with the rumours… he was later caught cheating on her again but this time on camera.
17 of 64Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson
It was quite the worldwide scandal when it came to light that Tristan Thompson cheated on Khloe Kardashian days before she was due to give birth to True Thompson. They appeared to work through his betrayal but almost a year later he allegedly kissed Kardashian/Jenner's family friend Jordyn Woods.
18 of 64Stephanie Davis and Jeremy McConnell
One of the most uncomfortable but juicy moments on UK reality TV is definitely when Stephanie Davis cheated on her boyfriend Sam Reece with Jeremy McConnell in the Celebrity Big Brother House… as is on television, for the nation and her boyfriend to see.
19 of 64Stacey and Ryan Giggs
Former footballer Ryan Giggs cheated on his wife Stacey for eight years with his sister-in-law Natasha. She's claimed she fell pregnant with their child and reportedly asked him to pay for an abortion. He also allegedly had an affair with Imogen Thomas.
20 of 64Una Healy and Ben Foden
After celebrating their six year wedding anniversary, The Saturdays star Una Healy split from her husband Ben Fodenfollowing reports that he had cheated.
21 of 64Spencer Matthews and Louise Thompson
One of the messiest Made in Chelsea relationships ever definitely was Spencer Matthews and Louise Thompson. Their relationship dragged on throughout the series and consisted of Spenny cheating while Louise cried her eyes out. They called it quits and continued to see each other but during a row, Spencer admitted he cheated on Louise and slept with another woman in her bed.
22 of 64Spencer Matthews and Lucy Watson
We were surprised Lucy Watson dated Spencer Matthews because of his past history but she did. Things seemed to be going well with them until Spencer admitted he cheated on Lucy during the Made in Chelsea reunion party. It was mega awkward and she savagely told him: "Can I just say after this is finished please do not ever speak to me, ever again."
23 of 64Spencer Matthews and Stephanie Pratt
Spencer proved he was back to his old ways when he cheated on Stephanie Pratt during Made in Chelsea and she quickly called quits on their relationship. We don't blame her.
24 of 64Alex Mytton and Binky Felstead
Alex Mytton cheated on Binky Felstead several times during their relationship but she finally called it quits when she discovered he had an orgy with Spencer Matthews. The dramz.
25 of 64Jude Law and Sienna Miller
After dating for less than a year Jude Law and Sienna Miller got engaged however things came to an abrupt halt when his children's nanny Daisy Wright revealed to the papers that they'd been having an affair.
26 of 64Sienna Miller and Balthazar Getty
In 2008 Sienna Miller had an affair with Balthazar Getty who was married to his wife and the mother of his four children Rosetta. Following his unfaithfulness, Balthazara and Rosetta separated and he went on to date Sienna but after two years apart he managed to get his marriage back on track.
27 of 64Sienna Miller and Daniel Craig
Sienna Miller denied being in a relationship with her co-star Daniel Craig but did admit they were 'briefly involved' despite being in a relationship with Jude Law.
28 of 64Gaz Beadle and Lillie Lexi Gregg
Remember when Geordie Shore's Gaz Beadle and Lillie Lexi Gregg dated for two years? During their relationship, Charlotte Crosby claimed Gaz had cheated on Lillie with her. Then after they split and they were reunited on Ex on the Beach, things took a turn for the worse when it came to light that he had cheated on while they were on holiday together in Australia.
29 of 64Gaz Beadle and Emma McVey
Gaz was apparently back at it again when Emma McVey accused him of cheating on her after he brutally dumped her via text. She made the claims on Twitter after revealing she was being sent "photos and videos of Gary with young girls" from the time they were in a relationship and when they'd split.
30 of 64Gaz Beadle and Charlotte Crosby
They were the Geordie Shore couple we were all hoping for but Gaz Beadle just couldn't keep it in his pants even when he was with Charlotte Crosby. However she called it quits when it slept with Jemma Lucy on Ex on the Beach and [she heartbreakingly suffered an ectopic pregnancy](https://closeronline.co.uk/family/news/ectopic-pregnancy-signs-symptoms-diagnosis/agnosis/).
31 of 64Ewan McGregor and Eve Mavrakis
Ewan McGregor and Eve Mavrakis' marriage came to a bitter end after a photo of the Star Wars actor kissing his co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead surfaced.
32 of 64Alex and Paul Hollywood
Paul Hollywood's marriage came to an end after he cheated on his wife Alex, with his America Bake Off co-star Marcela Valladolid. In 2019, Alex bravely spoke out about her estranged husbandand admitted it had been a "tough year".
33 of 64Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch
Back in 2010 while Abbey Clancy was pregnant with her first child, there were reports that her partner Peter Crouch had an alleged affair with a teenage prostitute. The Strictly Come Dancing winner has since admitted it was a "horrendous" time.
34 of 64Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor
During the end of series 2 of Made in Chelsea, Millie Mackintosh made one of the most iconic speeches when she revealed her BFF Rosie Fortescue had bedded her boyfriend Hugo Taylor. Before this though, both Millie and Hugo had been guilty of cheating on each other and they're now married, so…
35 of 64Sam Thompson and Tiffany Watson
Sam Thompson and Tiffany Watson were quite the Made in Chelsea couple, right? Despite how loved up they seemed they were both guilty of cheating, especially considering they kept going on 'breaks'. They're finally over and have both left MIC so no more drama... Phew.
36 of 64Danielle Lloyd and Jamie O'Hara
Danielle Lloyd ended her marriage following allegations that Jamie O'Hara cheated on her with two women and apparently he tried to kiss TOWIE's Maria Fowler.
37 of 64Nicola McLean and Tom Williams
Back in 2014, Nicola McLean split from her husband Tom Williams after he was filmed cheating on her in Las Vegas. She then threw shade at the alleged woman on Twitter.
38 of 64Charlotte Crosby and Gaz Beadle
Back to Charlotte Crosby and Geordie Shore viewers were shocked when she kissed Marty McKenna even though she was seeing Gaz Beadle at the time.
39 of 64Charlotte Crosby and Josh Ritchie
Once again while filming for a TV show – this time The Charlotte Show – viewers saw Charlotte Crosby kiss her former flame Cal. However she's put any cheating speculation to be by revealing she wasn't 'official' with Josh at that time.
40 of 64Jake Hall and Chloe Lewis
Shortly after Megan McKenna joined TOWIE she got on the wrong side of Chloe Lewis following rumours that she slept with her boyfriend Jake Hall. Jake then went on to reveal on Twitter that's he's not been 100% faithful during their relationship.
41 of 64Pete Wicks and Megan McKenna
TOWIE's Pete Wicks was caught sending saucy messages to his ex-girlfriend Jacqui Ryland while he with Megan McKenna and it all kicked off in the show. She (rightly so) screamed at him on the beach when the news broke while they were filming in Marbella. She later revealed he had apparently been texting 10 women.
42 of 64Pete Wicks and Shelby Tribble
Pete proved he hadn't changed whenhe was caught texting ten other women behind girlfriend Shelby Tribble's back. She's since said she felt that she was in 'Megan McKenna's shadow'during her relationship with Pete.
43 of 64Jay Z and Beyonce
They're one of the celebrity power couples but in 2017, Jay-Z admitted he cheated on his wife of the mother of his children Beyonce. They each released an album where they hinted about his cheating and there were no hard feelings because they then released a joint album and have since moved on.
44 of 64Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson
Love Island 2018 was quite eventful but nothing prepared Wes (and only Wes, tbh) for Megan Barton Hanson leaving him. The pair getting together was already controversial because he was in a couple with Laura Anderson, he dumped her and moved on to Meg but then Casa Amor happened. While Wes stayed loyal in the other villa, Meg moved on with Alex Miller and it was quiet awkward Wes walked back in… alone. Bless him. Luckily they kissed and made up and got back together.
45 of 64Rita Ora and Rob Kardashian
Back in 2012 Rob Kardashian took to Twitter and claimed that his girlfriend Rita Ora had allegedly cheated on him with 20 men. Rita seemingly denied the rumours in an interview by saying she didn't think they were in a relationship.
46 of 64James Argent and Lydia Bright
They were thought to be one of TOWIE's power couples but James 'Arg' Argent cheated on Lydia during their relationship. He has said he kissed Amy Childs behind his girlfriend's back and he even admitted he cheated with some of his fans.
47 of 64James Argent and Gemma Collins
Gemma Collins and Arg have had more ups and downs that a yo-yo and in 2012 she called him out on Twitter by writing: "@RealJamesArgent You slept with someone else last night you disgust me you cheat !!!!"
48 of 64Gemma Collins and Charlie King
Gemma Collins and Charlie King dated for a little bit back in 2012 but they split after he discovered she was sending sexy messages to her co-star Ricky Rayment. James Argent then said on TOWIE that she had cheated on Charlie with him.
49 of 64Gemma Collins and Rami Hawash
Gemma Collins engagement to Rami Hawash came to a bitter end in 2014 but before that James Argent accused The GC of cheating on her boyfriend with him. Gemma denied the claims and confidently said: "Cheating is sleeping James." Riiiiiight.
50 of 64Lauren Goodger and Mark Wright
Ohh the original TOWIE couple Lauren Goodger and Mark Wright. They called time on their 10-year relationship and engagement in 2011 following a lot of speculation that they'd both cheated.
51 of 64James Lock and Danielle Armstrong
James Lock and Danielle Armstrong had a err, fiery, relationship. Lockie admitted to Dani's pal Ferne McCann that he had been a "naughty boy". He then told his girlfriend: "Before we was official, I did sleep with some girls… like three." That wasn't the end though because he later admitted he's sent inappropriate messages to other women during their relationship.
52 of 64Bobby Norris and Harry Derbidge
Remember when Bobby Norris and Harry Derbidge dated in 2014? Us neither. Anyways, their relationship came to an end after Haz admitted he slept with his ex-boyfriend.
53 of 64Ferne McCann and Charlie Sims
Ferne McCann and Charlie Sims talk about a throwback, ey? The pair were on and off during their time on TOWIE but then Charlie was spotted looking very cosy with another woman in Ibiza. However it them came to light that at the beginning of Ferne's relationship Frank Major she had actually been dating Charlie. Crickey.
54 of 64Danny Dyer and Joanne Mas
In 2017, Danny Dyer and Joanne Mas' relationship hit a rough patch when it was reported that he had a six-week affair with Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding. He temporarily moved out of his family home but luckily was able to make things right with his wife.
55 of 64Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
Back in 2009, Tiger Woods who hit with quite a few accusations that he allegedly cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren with a string on women. Following the reports the golfer made a "profound apology" and has since split from his now ex wife.
56 of 64Bill Clinton and Hilary Clinton
Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky will go down in history as one of the most scandalous affairs in the public spotlight. Despite his transgressions he is still married to his wife Hilary Clinton.
57 of 64Stephen Bear and Lillie Lexi Gregg
Stephen Bear followed in the footsteps of Stephanie Davis in 2016 when he cheated on his girlfriend Lillie Lexi Gregg during his time in the Celebrity Big Brother house. Stephen and Chloe Khan got it on during his time on the reality show but things got MEGA awkward when Lillie entered the house and confronted him.
58 of 64Stephen Bear and Jemma Lucy
In 2016, Jemma Lucy took to Twitter to reveal her relationship with Stephen Bear had ended "weeks ago" before claiming he cheated. Fast forward three years (yes, really) and he finally confessed while filming for BBC3's show Eating With My Ex.
59 of 64Stephen Bear and Ellie O'Donnell
Back in 2018, Stephen Bear went to America to film MTV's show The Challenge however during his time out there, rumours that he cheated on his girlfriend, Ellie O'Donnell, with co-star Georgia Harrison came to light.
60 of 64Stephen Bear and Georgia Harrison
Following a short time together, Stephen Bear and Georgia Harrison called it quits and soon after there were reports he cheated.
61 of 64Sam Bird and Georgia Steel
Despite (annoyingly) branding herself loyal throughout her time on Love Island, Georgia Steel reportedly sent secret texts to her ex-boyfriend despite being in a relationship with Sam Bird. He claims his now ex-girlfriend had stayed the night at her ex-boyfriend's house and sent her friend a selfie of herself in bed with her former lover.
62 of 64Dan Osborne and Jacqueline Jossa
In March 2019, Dan Osborne was accused of cheating on his wife Jacqueline Jossa with Love Island star Alexandra Cane. However the[ CBB star denied the claims and released a statement alongside Alexandra](https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/dan-osborne-kissed-love-island-alexandra-cane/ Alexandra. ).
63 of 64Malin Andersson and Tom Kemp
Love Island star Malin Andersson accused her boyfriend Tom Kemp of cheating on her during pregnancy. However they managed to get through it and got back together.
64 of 64Louise Thompson and Andy Jordan
After Spencer Matthews cheated on Louise we didn't think she'd then cheat on her boyfriend. Yup. During series six it came to light that she had been unfaithful with another man and there was a lot of speculation that it was with none other than One Direction's Niall Horan.
WATCH: The cast of Love Island reveal ALL of their Love Island secrets
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Revealing more behind-the-scenes gossip, Jess says, “We weren’t allowed to interact with the other castmates while taking part in the experiment, unless cameras were there.
“When Mick and I stayed in separate rooms, it really was just me alone in my room – that got quite boring!
“I couldn’t meet up with Dan without cameras being there, so they could capture it as it played out. It was such a full-on experiment – I did learn a lot about myself though.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.